Youth Specialist I

Under the supervision of a Youth Services Supervisor, Shift Supervisor, or Resident Counselor, supervises residents in the child care facility and ensures a safe and secure environment for residents.  Activities include processing resident intakes and discharges, supervising daily work and recreational activities, teaching proper hygiene and conduct, monitoring resident behavior, intervening in crisis situations, and documenting incidents and resident interaction.     

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:  An employee in this class may be called upon to do any or all of the following:  (These examples do not include all of the tasks which an employee may be expected to perform.  An * denotes duties or responsibilities judged to be "essential job functions" in terms of the Americans With Disabilities Act or ADA).

• Maintains unit security by monitoring residents' activities, observing behavior and attitude, conducting regular room/bed checks, intervening in crisis situations in accordance with established policy, reporting unusual behavior/attitude to supervisory and/or casework staff, ensuring that building is secure and performing other related functions.*
• Interacts with residents individually and in group settings to discuss personal problems, facility rules and regulations, personal hygiene, conduct, personal and group goals, substance abuse issues, and to address other relevant issues such as personal budgeting and education needs.*
• Process resident intake by conducting personal searches, obtaining and logging personal items and orienting residents to the facility.  Logs required resident intake information. *
• Processes resident discharges by verifying court ordered discharge, returning personal belongings, and logging required discharge related information. *
• Conducts and supervises resident physical education, work and recreational activities.  Accompanies and supervises residents on approved field trips. *
• Interacts with treatment, court and child care facility staff to discuss resident's behavior/attitude and treatment related issues. *
• Performs various food service, building and grounds maintenance and housekeeping tasks such as food preparation, meal service and cafeteria clean-up, interior and exterior building maintenance, grounds maintenance, and laundry of linens and residents' cloths.*
• Dispenses medication to residents in accordance with physician approved prescriptions, logs medication dispensed and ensures that medications are secured.  Provides basic first aid as necessary. *
• Logs various functions and activities such as room/bed checks, door checks, contacts with residents, intakes and discharges, contacts with treatment personnel and other situations involving residents and unusual circumstances.*
• Transports residents to court hearings and medical appointments.*

DESIRABLE EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE and/or QUALIFICATIONS: An employee in this class, upon appointment, should have the equivalent of the following training and experience.

• High school diploma or GED.
• Basic knowledge of first aid and CPR training within six (6) months from date of employment.
• Bachelor's Degree in social sciences or human resources field is desirable.
• Ability to serve as substitute for parent to children.
• Ability to assemble, maintain records and present data in report form.
• Ability to conduct group activities under professional supervision.
• Ability to work with children.
• Ability to meet and deal with the public.
• Reasonable knowledge of MSC standards and procedures.
• Ability to exercise independent judgment.
• Meet all State requirements.
• No specific amount of prior experience required.
• Valid driver's license.
• Pass a criminal back ground check.
• Pass a check of the Child Abuse and Neglect Central Registry.
• Then adding from the other list.......
• Knowledge of residents' needs habits and characteristics of behavior.
• Ability to council, instruct and control residents.
• Ability to follow oral and written instructions.
• Ability to prepare and present oral and written reports to supervisors.
• Ability to communicate effectively with others.
• Ability to utilize a PC or other word processing machine.
• Ability to successfully complete annual physical restraint training.
• Ability to operate a motor vehicle safely.
• Ability to work under stressful conditions.
• Ability to pass a CPR training.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

• Lift 50 pounds as needed without a gait belt.
• Carry an average weight of 1 to 10 pounds, several times a day up to 400 feet.
• Push/pull average weight of 10-250 pounds for a distance of 10-400 feet on carpet/tile.
• Stand on carpet/tile up to 75% of the day.
• Walk on carpet/tile up to 75% of the day up to 10-400 feet, 1-2 hours at a time and go up and down stairs.
• Reach, bend, squat, and kneel several times an hour.
• Maintain a work pace of steady to fast pace at times, multi-task several times a day.
• Ability to see and hear information and meet the needs of the resident's environment.
• The ability to walk 400 feet up and down hallways to do a visual check of each room every 15 minutes or more in an eight hour shift without assistance.
• Physically fit enough to physically take control of a hostile situation such as physical altercation, AWOL, assault, self-harm/suicide or riot situation.  Staff must be able to restrain or help restrain in an extreme situation to prevent any harm to youth and staff in any building.
• In any weather situation the ability to be outside with residents standing on concrete for up to 2 hours.
• Physically be able to stand on tile floors up to 2 hours and complete the following daily chores such as showers, kitchen chores, back hall chores, day to day cleaning.